Cili County 慈利县

Setting and landscape

The land falls from north-west to south-east. Three east-west spurs of the Wuling range cross it; Gaojiajie (高架界) on the northern spur is the highest point at 1,409.8 m. The Li River and its largest tributary, the Lou (溇水), run through the county, with valley plains along the Li down to 75 m at Miaoshi town (苗市镇), and carbonate rocks underlie about 54 percent of the area. Wulei Mountain (五雷山) has cold winters and cool summers, with a maximum of 32°C. Its reservoirs include Jiangya (江垭) and Zhaojiaya (赵家垭).

History

In 221 BC the Qin set up Cigu County (慈姑县) here under Qianzhong Commandery; the Han renamed it Lingyang (零阳县). In the 18th year of the Sui Kaihuang reign it became Cili, a name the county explains as "kindly customs, profitable products" (土俗淳慈，得物产利). The Yuan raised it to a prefecture and the early Ming made it a county again. He Long (贺龙) and Xiao Ke (肖克) set up a revolutionary base in the county, and more than 10,000 local people joined the Red Army. Du Xinwu (杜心五), known as the "hero of north and south" (南北大侠), and the nuclear physicist Chen Nengkuan (陈能宽) came from Cili.

What to see

The Yuntiandu glass bridge (云天渡), first called the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, spans the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (张家界大峡谷) in Sanguansi Tujia Township (三官寺土家族乡), about 50 km east of Zhangjiajie city. It opened on 20 August 2016 and is 536 m long and 6 m wide, with a deck of 99 glass panels more than 280 m above the valley floor; bungee and zip-line platforms hang beneath it. The county government also lists Wulei Mountain, the Jiangya and Wanfu (万福) hot springs, Zhaojiaya, the Meihua Hall (梅花殿) and the Yupu Academy (渔浦书院) among its 28 main sights. Chinese Wikipedia calls Wulei Mountain the "Southern Wudang", a Taoist sacred site, and lists the old Jiuxiwei garrison town (九溪卫古城) and Xikou old town (溪口古镇).

Food and local products

The county government features Yanghe dumi (阳和肚米) and Longtanhe preserved fish (龙潭河鲊鱼) among its local foods, and says 54 percent of its topsoil meets the standard for selenium-rich soil. Named products include Jiangya whitebait (江垭银鱼), Dongxi "Seven Sisters" chillies (洞溪“七姊妹”辣椒) and Yanbodu vermicelli (岩泊渡粉丝). Cili also calls itself a home of hot springs, eucommia (杜仲), marble and the Chinese giant salamander.

Highlights

• Yuntiandu glass bridge 云天渡: 536 m glass-decked bridge over the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, opened 20 August 2016.
• Wulei Mountain 五雷山: Taoist mountain called the Southern Wudang, with cool summers.
• Jiangya hot spring 江垭温泉: One of the county's two named hot-spring sights.
• Yanghe dumi 慈利阳和肚米: Local dish featured by the county government among its food traditions.